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Chris Canetti, the President of the FIFA World Cup Houston Host Committee, speaks to the media during a preview of the passenger experience at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Tuesday, June 9, 2026.<\/p>\n
Jason Fochtman\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n
Chris Canetti sat in an NRG Stadium suite on July 6, 2025, watching the Gold Cup final between the U.S. and Mexico, and\u00a0his mind couldn\u2019t help but wander<\/a> to the then-forthcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cNo doubt you sit here and you\u2019re imagining something like this a year from now,\u201d Canetti told the Chronicle from the suite that day.<\/p>\n Now, exactly one year later, Canetti sat in the Founder\u2019s Pavillion at FIFA Fan Fest wearing a host committee polo and a DR Congo trucker hat. The knockout stage between Spain and Portugal played on the large screens outside as fans gathered to watch the match.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n He had been at that same stadium earlier Monday with elected officials, host committee staffers and others to take some photos and have one last look at the grass pitch installed for the World Cup.<\/p>\n HOUSTON’S VOICE: Glenn Davis on calling World Cup matches<\/a><\/p>\n Canetti started in his role, first as bid committee president, more than seven years ago. The grass plan, a key component to bringing the World Cup to Houston, has been in the works for nearly as long. Houston won its host city bid more than four years ago. FIFA announced the World Cup schedule more than two years ago.<\/p>\n Now Houston\u2019s seven World Cup matches have come and gone.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very strange to think back a year ago, to think back two months ago, to think back a week ago,\u201d Canetti said Monday. \u201cIt’s going to be hard to believe that it’s over soon.\u201d<\/p>\n Canetti talked with the Chronicle on Monday \u2014 the one year anniversary of the Gold Cup final \u2014 about the seven matches in Houston, how operations have gone in Houston and what to expect over these last two weeks of action.<\/p>\n Thousands of fans take part in the iconic Oranje fan walk for Dutch supporters before the team\u2019s match against Sweden in the FIFA World Cup in Houston, Saturday, June 20, 2026.<\/p>\n Jason Fochtman\/Staff photographer<\/p>\n Successful fanwalks\u00a0<\/p>\n One of the defining characteristics of the Houston World Cup experience has been the fanwalks.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cI heard from someone the other day that some cities had no fanwalks,\u201d Canetti said.<\/p>\n The Netherlands\u2019 Oranje Fanwalk<\/a> ahead of its June 20 match is one of the moments of the World Cup in Houston as more than 25,000 people attended the match from Rice University to the stadium.<\/p>\n But the Netherlands match, along with a Sweden march that day that also drew about 5,000, seemingly sparked other fanwalks in the city.\u00a0<\/p>\n Both Portugal and Uzbekistan had fanwalks for the next match. A Houston pedicab driver became a star during Brazil\u2019s fanwalk before its match against Japan. Canada even got in on the action with a march of its own on the Fourth of July.<\/p>\n Canetti said public safety officials stepped up with the marches to make sure they could happen, even when they were at the last minute.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cWe, from day one way back months before this, always felt like the fanwalks were an important part of the match day experience,\u201d Canetti said. \u201cWe were glad when the different countries and federations wanted to put those together.\u201d<\/p>\n Cape Verde forward Nuno da Costa (21), forward Willy Semedo (17) and defender Stopira (2) celebrate the teams 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia during World Cup Group H match at Houston Stadium on Friday, June 26, 2026. The teams tied 1-1.<\/p>\n Elizabeth Conley\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n The Cape Verde story comes to Houston<\/p>\n Houston had a team ranked in the top 10 in the world play in four of its five group stage matches.<\/p>\n Its fifth match featured Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia,<\/a> two teams ranked in the 60s.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cEverybody looked at the match schedule, and you go, \u2018there’s the weak one,\u2019\u201d Canetti said. \u201cEven ticket sales, maybe three, four weeks out, you look and you go, “Oh boy. Are were going to be okay here?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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